Believe me, I am naught--yea, less than naught,
By naught and less than naught what can be taught?
I tell the mysteries of truth, but know
Naught save the telling to this task I brought.
LAWÁ'IH.
"DELIVER US FROM OURSELVES"
O God, deliver us from preoccupation with worldly
vanities, and show us the nature of things "as
they really are." Remove from our eyes the veil
of ignorance, and show us things as they really
are. Show not to us non-existence as existent, nor
cast the veil of non-existence over the beauty of
existence. Make this phenomenal world the mirror to
reflect the manifestations of thy beauty, and not
a veil to separate and repel us from Thee. Cause
these unreal phenomena of the universe to be for us
the sources of knowledge and insight, and not the
cause of ignorance and blindness. Our alienation and
severance from Thy beauty all proceed from ourselves.
Deliver us from ourselves, and accord to us intimate
knowledge of Thee.
"MAKE MY HEART PURE"
Make my heart pure, my soul from error free,
Make tears and sighs my daily lot to be,
And lead me on Thy road away from self,
That lost to self I may approach to Thee!
Set enmity between the world and me,
Make me averse from worldly company:
From other objects turn away my heart,
So that it is engrossed with love to Thee.
How were it, Lord, if Thou should'st set me free
From error's grasp and cause me truth to see?
Guebres[1] by scores Thou makest Musulmans,
Why, then, not make a Musulman of me?
My lust for this world and the next efface,
Grant me the crown of poverty and grace
To be partaker in Thy mysteries,
From paths that lead not towards Thee turn my face.